In November 2005, 37 year old, mother of two, Isabelle Dinoire became the first person in the world to receive a new face. The decision made by French surgeons to perform the operation went against the findings of almost every other ethical committee in the world and has since sparked a fierce debate over the ethics of the operation.

In the UK, a team led by surgeon Peter Butler has renewed its struggle to get approval to perform the first full face transplant at the Royal Free in London. But with the long term effects still unknown, do the risks outweigh the benefits? Are face transplants really in the best interest of the patient?